


"What was I expecting?"

by foundyouforever



Category: Marble Hornets
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-18
Updated: 2014-02-18
Packaged: 2018-01-13 00:00:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1205332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foundyouforever/pseuds/foundyouforever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Jays life these last few years have been a constant repetition of "what was I expecting...""</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place just after Entry #80, but will contain spoilers up to Entry #82.

       His final thoughts as he sat against a dusty old wall in the basement of some abandoned building on campus were probably somewhere along the lines of 'what was I expecting?'

       What was he expecting when he ran into that old building after watching Tim run out? What was he expecting when he found himself wandering through that old tunnel in Rosswood? What was he expecting when he finally forced himself to watch that tape he stole from Tims pocket?

      Jays life these last few years have been a constant repitition of "what was I expecting..." but his most commonly thought version of the phrase must have been..

       "What was I expecting when I found that old box of tapes?"

       Now, Jay sits propped up against a tree in a place that is familiar, but not. He'd been conscious when...that thing...reached for him, but only barely. He knew, the moment he saw Alex, that this was it. Tim had been there to save him and Jessica before, but Tim was probably already at his car and leaving by now. He was alone with Alex.

       Part of him was convinced that Alex wouldn't do it. He wanted to believe that he could talk Alex down, at least just long enough for him to escape. He knew that the Alex he knew was gone, but he wanted to believe that his friend was in there somewhere. He tried, but Alex cut him off before he even had the chance to say anything other than his name. What happened after that initial shot rang was almost a blur as Jay stumbled toward a room, clutching his stomach, and shut the door behind him. He knew that was almost silly, as if Alex really wanted to kill him, that unlocked door definitely wouldn't stop him.

       As he sat against that wall, he wanted to believe that this wasn't happening. He pulled his hand away from his stomach, which was now coated with his own blood, and he tried to tell himself that it would be okay. Tim would come and find him, and they'd go get help. Jay knew that was a stupid idea. He felt himself starting to slip away. He didn't want to die. Not alone, bleeding out in some abandoned college building after being shot by his old. He had come so far. He felt tears forming in his eyes.

       He was scared.

       Jay had spent the last several years alone, jumping from hotel room to hotel room. The closest he had come to feeling like he had a friend was when he met Jessica. Maybe they weren't what most people would consider to be "friends", but he liked her, and when she disappeared, she was his reason for going on. When she disappeared, Jay was alone again. Then, he found Tim. Again, they weren't what most people would consider "friends", but they had a common goal, and were willing to work together.

       Jay was used to being alone. He was used to being lonely. But as he sat propped up against a dusty wall in the basement of some abandoned building on campus, he had never felt so alone in his life.


	2. Chapter 2

       When he realized he could open his eyes again, he expected to see that dusty old room that he was supposed to have died in. Instead, he was greeted with bright light and the smell of dirt and trees. His eyes watered at the unexpected light, but soon they focused and revealed that he was now sitting propped up against a tree in what was presumably Rosswood Park. Jay couldn't tell how much time had passed since he lost consciousness. It could've been anywhere from five minutes to ten months, he just didn't know.

       He pulled his hand away from his stomach, where it had been when he finally lost consciousness, and found that it was still wet with blood. Looking down at himself, he realized that he was still soaked in his own blood, and his clothes had torn where the bullet had hit, but he felt no pain. With trembling hands, he reached underneath his shirt and felt that his stomach was perfectly intact, just as it was before all of this happened. 

       Jay was shaking. He was scared, he was confused, but he was also angry. The fog in his mind had cleared significantly and he could now think properly. What had he been expecting? Did he really think that monster would let him die so soon? He knew it was stupid. He knew that this monster had been toying with them long enough that it wouldn't just kill him so suddenly. If Jay had learned anything in these years of being stalked by this creature, it's that nothing is that easy. It won't let anything be that easy.

       When it had moved Jay to Rosswood, it must have also taken out a significant chunk of memory because he couldn't remember much of what happened after watching the tape he stole from Tim. He remembers going to Rosswood, and he remembers walking through that tunnel, but after that, the memories are so jumbled that some of them may not even be real. All he remembered is that he needed to find Tim.

       He instinctively reached for his camera, which he remembers having dropped on the floor beside him, but it wasn't there. That added to Jays panic, even though he knew that it had been left behind when he was taken to Rosswood. He took some deep breaths, and tried to stand. It was hard, as he still felt very weak, but using the tree as support, he was able to stand. Again, he took some deep breaths as he leaned the tree, and finally he was able to take a few steps. He didn't know where he was going; this part of Rosswood, assuming it was Rosswood, was unfamiliar to him. Rosswood was a big park, and paired with the fact that it was inhabited by a faceless entity that wanted nothing more than to make his life a living hell, he'd never felt very inclined to do much exploring there.

       He was able to walk at a consistent, albeit slow pace as he wandered in one direction, hoping that would take him somewhere. Eventually he'd have to come to some sort of marker to indicate where he is, right?

       Time passed at a normal rate, which was both terrifying and relieving to Jay. That meant that he was in a normal plane of existence, but that also meant that eventually it would get dark, and he didn't have a flashlight. However, that fear was short-lived, as he finally stumbled upon a trail that looked familiar to him. After taking a moment to get his bearings, he almost cried in relief. He knew exactly where he was, and he knew that he was fairly close to the entrance of the park. He had no idea what he was going to do once he got there, but he knew he'd be able to breathe a little easier once he was out in the open, not alone in the rapidly darkening woods.

       All he wanted at this point was to find Tim. He was afraid, knowing that Tim would likely be angry at him for what he tried to do, but he didn't care. Tim was the only person alive right now that he felt safe with, so he had to find him. 

       The sun had almost set when Jay realized that he was at the beginning of the trail. Despite knowing that it would be dark soon and he could likely travel unseen, he took off his jacket and tied it around his waist, being careful to hide as much of the blood on both his torso and his jacket as possible. He had managed to get a decent amount of blood off of his hands using what he could find along the way. It wasn't perfect, but nobody would notice, especially when it got dark.

       When he reached the nearly empty parking lot, he nearly collapsed in relief. He sat down on the asphalt, and he called that a victory for himself. He did it. He survived this far. 

       Somedays, Jay felt like every force on earth was against him. He'd lost his home, he'd lost his friends, and slowly but surely, he'd begun to lose his sanity. Somedays, Jay wanted nothing more than to just call his parents, and talk to them, even just for five minutes. He hadn't lost their number yet. That was the one thing he made sure to transfer from phone to phone. Tim had once even joked with him that he should just get it tattooed on his forearm, since he's so concerned with losing it. It was almost every night that Jay found himself with his cellphone in his hand, dialing in his parents number, but he could never work up the courage to actually call. He hadn't talked to them in so long, he was terrified of the idea of talking to them. Surely they'd seen the news, that his apartment had burned down. They would've lost contact with him after that, seeing as Jay changed his number out of concern for his own safety. 

       Jay let himself smile as he sat alone in the empty parking lot. 

       He waited until the sun had completely set before he stood up again. His legs were sore, and he still felt weak, but he knew he had to go. He had to find Tim. He knew that Tim was likely much further than walking distance away, but if he could get to town, he could round up some change and call him. Strangely enough, Jay felt happier as he walked alone in the darkness toward town than he had in a really long time. He knew that once he got there, that would be another little victory for him. He knew that once he called Tim, it may take him a while to drive there to get him. He knew that maybe while he waited, he could call his parents. 

       Jay had expected to die in that room. Now that he knew he hadn't, he felt like he could do anything. His expectations were now meaningless, as he now understood that sometimes, things can work in his favors. Jay hadn't felt that in a long, long time.


End file.
